The present invention relates to systems and methods for data protection, and in some embodiments to hardware and software utilized in the context of preventing unauthorized copying of software. Embodiments of the invention have been particularly developed for application in the context of environments where software image integrity is regulated, such as casino-type gaming environments. Whilst some embodiments will be described herein with particular reference to that application, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to such a field of use, and is applicable in broader contexts.
The following discussion of the prior art is intended to place the invention in an appropriate technical context and enable the associated advantages to be fully understood. However, any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification should not be considered as an admission that such art is widely known or forms part of the common general knowledge in the field.
Preventing unauthorized copying of software is a common concern for parties involved in the development and distribution of software products. A wide variety of techniques have been developed and applied, with varying levels of success. In broad terms, such techniques commonly rely on embedding identification data in each authorized copy of a software product, thereby to assist identification of unauthorized copies. For example, in some cases a unique key is required to activate a software product.
In the context of casino-type gaming software, such as software executable on slot machines or poker machines, there are often strict regulations governing software image integrity. In particular, when a particular software element (such as a game) is approved, that approval only covers exact replicas of the approved software element. That is, the image data on every carrier medium for that software element should be precisely identical. This limits the ability to leverage common software protection methods, as it is not permissible to embed unique identification data into each authorized copy, as this would vary the software image between copies.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome or ameliorate at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art, or to provide a useful alternative.